Brad Spurgeon's Blog

PARIS – I think that was the longest period I have ever had of not posting something on my blog. It just sort of happened. The last post was the day before Christmas, and then all hell of pleasure broke loose and it was Christmas, New Year’s, all that holiday stuff. I’d say that I took a holiday from the blog, but that would be too much like saying the blog is work! The blog is a labor of love, not work – at least not in that sense.

So anyway…last night I decided to return to the Coolin open mic again, this time not at the end of the evening but at the beginning of the evening to sign up early like everyone else. Good thing I did. I got there at 8:10, it was too early; went to a restaurant across the street and ordered a meal; returned at 8:45 to sign up, and that was the right time. I was 10th on the list of at least 20 people. That meant getting on at precisely 11:00 PM.

But my own slot was not the main aspect of the evening for me. It was an amazing night of great talents at the Coolin, and I left feeling as if there has been a shift in the Monday night open mics in the Latin Quarter. I always loved the Coolin. But now that they have changed the sound system, now that there has been a change at the Tennessee (the Galway has remained what it has always been) there is a feeling I had last night that a lot, I mean a LOT, of the talent has gravitated toward the Coolin as the base for Monday nights.

The sound system is better than it was in the Coolin’s early days, the crowd is now mostly musicians – and their friends – there to hear other musicians, but still just enough people just dropping in and listening and discovering; and while they may have reduced the free pint to a free half pint for all performers, well, they remain one of the few venues where the actually offer something to drink to every performer. And that is massive!

A great, great vibe continues at the Coolin….